


Under the Stars

by LauramourFromOz



Series: The Adventures of Hubble & Hallow [4]
Category: The Worst Witch (TV 1998)
Genre: (Australian) Aboriginal Kinship Systems, Amelia Cackle's Sexual Orientation Is Cheese, S1 E5 (1998) The Great Outdoors, Useless Lesbians, lgbtq+
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-12
Updated: 2020-12-12
Packaged: 2021-03-09 19:07:16
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 878
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27991245
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LauramourFromOz/pseuds/LauramourFromOz
Summary: In which Imogen and HB use their words.Takes place at the end of 'The Great Outdoors'.
Relationships: Constance Hardbroom/Imogen Drill
Series: The Adventures of Hubble & Hallow [4]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2039242
Kudos: 5





	Under the Stars

It was a clear, brisk night. The girls and rocky mountain rangers were all in bed. Imogen and that man were still outside by the fire, discussing whatever it was outdoors types discussed. Constance had seen the girls to bed and retired to the cabin where she sat by the fire writing Yindi. Yindi was an old friend, one of few she kept in sporadic touch with.

Constance's life was divided into three distinct periods.

Before Broomhead, Broomhead and After Broomhead.

Yindi had come at the very end of 'Before Broomhead'. Before Weirdsister, Constance been invited to spend a year studying abroad at The Australian Witching University in Alice Springs. She'd toyed with the idea of completing her studies there for several months but had ultimately decided to return home. If she hadn't...

Yindi had been and remained a good friend to her. She'd learned as much from Yindi and her people in the scant few months she'd been wih them as she had her entire time at Wiedsister and then some.

Yindi was very good at writing Constance, once a month or so, more often if she had something to say. Constance was less good at writing back. She'd been the happiest she'd ever been at AWU, she'd wanted to stay forever and she often wished she had.

Constance didn't notice Imogen leaning against the wall just inside the door for almost a full miniate.

"Imogen," HB said, by way of greeting.

"Who are you writing to?"

"A friend, you don't know her."

"HB, I... I'm sorry we fought, about the whole magic thing."

This thing between them was new and neither were quite sure exactly what it was. It resisted defining. Constance had not felt the way she was beginning to feel in a very long time. Not since Australia and... this was why she was writing Yindi.

"Are you going to tell me what it was really about?" HB said.

Imogen took the other fireside armchair and collected her thoughts.

"I'm always the ordinary one. For once I wanted the rest of you to be ordinary with me."

"You aren't ordinary though."

"You say that, but you're all flying around on broomsticks and I'm riding a pushbike."

"I didn't know it bothered you."

"It doesn't, not usually."

"You equate being non-magical with being ordinary when there a great many magical people who are exceedingly ordinary. The great wizard for a start."

"What exactly do you have against him anyway?"

"You mean, aside from the fact he's as dull as paint?"

"I thought you liked that sort of thing."

"You all seem to have some strange ideas about me."

"Which you have nothing to do with, of course."

"I happen to think you're quite extraordinary."

Imogen thought she must have misheard because she'd never known HB to give anyone a complement of any kind, not without looking as if it hurt. The most HB looked now was a little put out at having to say the words.

HB laughed.

"It's the truth. I know what it's like to be an outsider and you spend ten months a year as one of two non-magical members of a very small closed community. You do well."

"I seem to remember quite a different tune when I first arrived."

"You weren't the first non-magical PE teacher Cackle's had ever had. We had a string of them, right back to before I was a pupil. You were the first one to last more than a term. We went through a dozen when I was a pupil, two dozen between when I started teaching and when you arrived, but you've lasted ten times as long as any of them. In the history of Cackles here would have been almost a hundred non-magical PE teachers, none of whom lasted more than a term. Then, five years ago, you arrived. You succeeded where a hundred people before you failed and, I think that makes you extraordinary."

"Just when I think I've got you figured out."

"There's those funny ideas again. Are you staying?"

"Better not, the girls. It would be quite the scandal if someone were to find my tent unslept in. Especially with a man about."

"What, you worried about your reputation as a gold star? I thought you liked him, he seems like your type."

"I do like him, and as far as throwing back a few beers, going for a hike and talking about girls he is my type. As far as sneaking off to make out, not so much. And how do you know about being a gold star?"

"I wouldn't be much of a lesbian if I didn't know what 'gold star' means."

"I have literally never known you to interact with another queer person or our culture."

"Have you met Fenella and Griselda? Or Amelia, for that matter?"

"Amelia's sexual orientation is cheese, she doesn't count. I'll give you Fen and Gris."

"I do have friends outside this school, you know."

"Ah, the mystery woman you're writing to. Who is she?"

"What makes you think it's a woman?"

"Because, you can't stand anything male and animate."

"Yindi Holden. She's a friend from my time in Australia. And, yes, she's the one who taught me what 'gold star' means."

**Author's Note:**

> For those who don't know, a 'gold star' lesbian is a lesbian/same sex attracted woman who has never been with a man. There are also 'gold star' gays who are gay/same sex attracted men who have never been with a woman. It was a big thing in the 90s but less so now.


End file.
